Little Dragon
by Just My Little Self
Summary: There was one more Targaryen who fled Westeros during the War of the Usurper. The older sister of Viserys and Daenerys wished nothing more than to keep her siblings safe and sound for the rest of their lives. Then the fate intervened…
1. In The Spider's Web

**LITTLE DRAGON**

* * *

 **Summary: There was one more Targaryen who fled Westeros during the War of the Usurper. The older sister of Viserys and Daenerys wished nothing more than to ke** **ep her siblings safe and sound for the rest of their lives. But then the fate intervened…**

Third person POV

 _Thoughts_

 _ **Memories**_

* * *

 **In The Spider's Web**

* * *

 _ **Sixteen Years Ago**_

 _ **She was only three years old, but even at her young age, she understood the tension and importance of this moment. She had a fair understanding of what happened to her mother before. Stillborns, the old midwives called them bluntly, as if they weren't little babies at all. As if they were never the dwindling hope of their dynasty and the breaking heart of her mother. As if they weren't her siblings and Elion shouldn't love and adore them - but she did anyway, and she knew her mother did as well. Because it never mattered that they didn't live to draw a breath - they were family and they needed to be remembered.**_

 _ **She prayed that entire night. She wasn't allowed in the birthing chamber where she could hear the shrill screams come from, but her mother promised her that she would be summoned the second her new sibling came into the world. Of course, Elion had always been a good child. She always behaved, doing everything her parents told her to and more. Ever since they had discovered that the Queen was pregnant, Elion had been touching her belly, talking to it and singing to it for hours. She prayed and she knew that this time, it would be different. This time, the baby would be moving and screaming. It wouldn't be cold and still, like the last one.**_

 _ **She knew it. She knew.**_

 _ **When her doorknob turned, she was already on her feet, almost vibrating with excitement. It only took one look at the midwife's smiling face for Elion herself to be filled with joy, and she ran to her mother's chambers as fast as she could.**_

 _ **There he was, in his cradle, all purple and squishy, but beautiful nonetheless. Her little brother. He wasn't screaming, just moaning softly, balling his tiny little hands into fists. He was alive.**_

 _ **Elion reached out to touch him, but a large hand slapped her sharply across her fingers. Startled, she looked up to see her father towering over her, his bleached purple eyes glaring down at her.**_

 _ **"Aerys…" Her mother breathed out heavily from the bed. She looked exhausted, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her features, however, were marked by a soft smile. "Let her... She knows to be gentle."**_

 _ **"I do," Elion nodded dutifully, putting her little hand over her heart. "I will be careful. I would never hurt him, I will protect him. Always."**_

„ _ **You are a child," her father snorted. „A girl. You can't protect anyone."**_

 _ **"Aerys..."**_

 _ **Her father's eyes were empty as he looked down at her, but at least he wasn't angry. He seemed calmer than Elion had ever seen before. He gave her a short nod.**_ _ **Elion smiled and reached out to her little brother again. Her fingers brushed across his skin tenderly, and that mere touch filled her heart with pure happiness. He was warm. He was alive. He was hers.**_

 _ **"What is his name?" she asked, looking at the little boy as if he was the only thing left in the world.**_

 _ **"Viserys," Aerys replied, his voice calm and proud.**_

 _ **His second son had just been born.**_

 **Present Day**

She had no idea where she was, or what was happening. A terrible cold set upon her and her head was heavy, full of thick fog. It was too hard to think, but she was trying.

All she could remember was the ice.

She remembered the feeling of every part of her body freezing in time. How the cold burned like fire, or at least she thought so since the fire had never hurt her before. All she could remember was how she was paralyzed, the way she couldn't breathe and how the sensation lasted for an eternity before she died.

Except she didn't.

She was still here.

She could feel a steady hand on her arm. It was warm, but it belonged to a stranger and brushed over her numb skin. She could barely understand the current situation, but one thing was fairly obvious - she wasn't safe. There was a danger. She couldn't move, and the fear floating in her veins was colder than the ice. Her heart was thudding slowly in her chest, too tired to beat at a faster pace.

"A dragon in an ice cell. How poetic," drawled a deep voice, silky as honey.

Despite how calm and soothing it sounded, her fear escalated without explanation. Suddenly there was water upon her, lots of water. Warm and trickling down everywhere, making her skin sore with a sensation of melting.

"I do hate magic." The voice resonated again and she knew, she wasn't dreaming.

This was real. She knew this voice. It wasn't safe.

She was in danger and she needed to remember.

Something.

Everything.

 _Anything._

"And it seems that there are always more reasons to hate it with even more passion."

Passion.

Hatred.

Always.

And then she remembered.

 _ **Her fingers clutched the handle of the sword too tightly, so tightly that they began to hurt. Not that she cared, not when some bastard had a knife to Viserys' throat.**_

 _ **Elion wanted to kill that man. She wanted to hurt that man, but in the end, it was all her fault and she knew it. They shouldn't have stayed in one place for so long. They should have moved - she should have moved them. She should have never let her brother leave the safe house when he was having one of his tantrums. She should have followed him sooner. She should have… but none of it mattered anymore. Now she was here and he was there, in the arms of a much stronger man and his light purple eyes were brimming with fear.**_

" _ **Let him go," she hissed, her voice full of rage.**_

 _ **"I don't think I will," the man answered with a hoarse voice and his thin lips stretched into a vile smile.**_

 _ **"Eli…" Viserys whimpered. "Eli, please…"**_

 _ **Her heart broke when she saw him like this. She should have protected him, she never should have let this happen…**_

 _ **The man's eyes flickered, and that combined with a silent warning in her brother's purple ones alerted Elion to the presence of someone behind her. The bastard wasn't alone. Cowards like him never work alone.**_ _ **It only took a few seconds for her and the man to become locked in a stalemate. He still had a blade to her brother's throat and she honored his partner with the same. Fortunately, it seemed that he cared for his companion as well. Maybe they were related too…**_

 _ **"Stand down or he will die!" the man threatened, pressing his knife down on her brother's skin. A thin red line appeared, making Viserys gasp and his eyes to water.**_

 _ **Elion's heart turned into a stone in that moment, and she was glad. She needed her head cool and the ability to think straight. They, whoever they were, obviously needed them alive. If not, Viserys would have been dead already. So there was still a chance.**_

 _ **"You cannot get us both," she told the man, her voice cold.**_

 _ **Of course, he already knew that… she could tell by the look on his face. His eyes scanned their surroundings in a flash. He seemed to be thinking, plotting. Perhaps he was even looking for someone, but they were very much alone.**_

 _ **"Let him go," Elion demanded. „And I will go with you. Let him go… and your partner lives."**_

 _ **After a long momentary pause, the grip around Viserys' neck sagged, apparently with the knowledge that he had no other choice.**_

 _ **"Viserys, run!" she urged, and he did just that without looking back.**_

 _ **Once he was out of sight, she slit that other man's throat without a second thought. What legitimacy could her word have when it was made to the kind of men that hunted her and her family down since they were children. Elion couldn't keep up with who she thought kept sending them - since they were so many, but she couldn't afford to play fair with those people. She couldn't afford to play fair with anyone anymore. There was only one thing that remained important to her, and that was her family. Not her own honor, not her promises - nothing else mattered. Only Viserys and Daenerys. She couldn't let herself be captured because she needed to be there to protect them.**_

 _ **They needed her.**_

But she failed them. By now, that was growing to be quite obvious. She couldn't remember what happened after the assassin's blood ran down her arm in the shadows; she could only recall trying to overpower that other man and then… nothing. Her memories were scattered all around her mind; she needed to get them straight. Her name was Elion, the firstborn daughter of Aerys, the Mad King and one of the last members of the House Targaryen. She had been on the run for twelve years. She had allowed her own recklessness to separate her from her family.

And now she was…

Where the Seven Hells was she?

She tried to open her eyes, but her lids felt too heavy to lift. All she could do was listening to the voice and whatever it was saying - slow and smooth like a lullaby, and then everything was consummated by darkness once again.

When she woke up the second time, the dense fog was back. But now it wasn't just her head; she could feel it in her mouth, she was breathing it… But this time, it was easier to overcome. Her thoughts were more clear now. Elion could feel someone touching her hair, making it wet and slick. When she finally managed to open her eyes, it seemed as if someone had been waiting for her to do so, because something was shoved right into her eyes and it _burnt_. She tried to move her head, to escape the pain, blink it away, but nothing was working. It hurt like Seven Hells and she was fairly certain she had just been blinded.

"I'm sorry, dear," the voice spoke up again. _I know that voice_ , she realized, not being able to place it. "But you want to live... Don't you?"

Elion wasn't sure anymore. Her life had hardly been worth living as of late. She couldn't even remember the last time she was truly happy. Maybe that was too long time ago, when her mother was alive, when her father away somewhere and it was only her and Viserys and no one else.

After a while - or what seemed like ages to Elion - the burning in her eyes muted down to a bearable dull, and she opened them. The world around her was only a large blur, but it slowly came into focus. There was a dark figure standing over her. Just a few more seconds and she could spot a bald head and dark eyes. Her blood went cold instantly.

Varys.

She knew him.

She _remembered_ him.

He once served her father - she recalled him posing by his side when she was little and now he was serving a new King. Robert Baratheon, the rebel Usurper, the man responsible for the death of her family.

He served the enemy. He was the enemy.

And he was too close for her liking.

Instinctively, Elion tried to hit him in the face in a hopeless effort to get away from his presence, but her hand moved too slowly and she almost fell off whatever she was laying on. Varys caught her before it could happen and pushed her on her back again.

"That wasn't very ladylike, Little Dragon…"

Elion tried to push his hands away, but she was currently in such a bad shape that she wouldn't lift a cup if asked to. She tried to speak but it felt like her mouth was full of sand.

"It's wonderful to see you again as well," Varys said in reaction to the anxious expression on her face.

"What…" Elion rasped, every word was a cut to her throat, but she didn't care. "What have you… done… to my siblings?"

Judging by the look on his face, it seemed like she had insulted the Spider.

"I've done nothing to what remains of your family, Princess. I'm afraid I can't prove that, however, since they are gone. Far away and, hopefully, safe."

Elion didn't believe him. Only a fool would believe the Master of Whispers. So there should have been no reason for the fear that harshly bit in her heart when the image of Viserys and Daenerys far away somewhere and alone crept into her thoughts.

"What do you want from me?" she muttered out in a breathy rush. It seemed like a simple question, but there was a deeper meaning to it. Perhaps the real question should have been: _Why haven't you killed me already?_

Varys sighed.

"So many questions and so little time..."

Almost like he was afloat, he moved away from her makeshift bed and returned to her with a chalice of water. Perhaps Elion couldn't effectively push him away and run, but she could still find the strength to turn her head away and press her lips together.

The Spider frowned softly, but he didn't look very surprised.

"You're hurting my feelings," he confessed silkily. "I wasn't the one who captured you. I was the one who found you and set you free."

Elion's look couldn't be more incredulous. If she had the strength, she would laugh in his face.

"It's a truth. You see, not only King Robert has been searching for you. Some believe there is power in the blood of Targaryen. Your captors were, I'm afraid, people of low-breed… Do you remember what they did to you?"

Elion could see glimpses in front of her eyes at the mention. She remembered people in cloaks; they put her in the box of glass but no matter how hard she was pounding on the wall - it wouldn't break. And then there was the freezing water… ice… and then nothing.

"You don't have to thank me," Varys spoke up again, cutting through her thoughts.

Elion was planning to do no such a thing. Even if what he was saying was a truth, the current situation he had her in was hardly any better - she had just moved from bad to worse. "What is it that you want with me?" she asked again, fearful that she already knew the answer.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to take you home."

A new wave of fear rolled over her, freezing and stabbing. She didn't have a home. Westeros wasn't home, not anymore - it couldn't be. Her heartbeat only escalated as memories full of screaming, blood, and the smell of burning flesh began to resurface.

"Now, now," Varys whispered soothingly, he had to see the horror on her face. "Calm down, child."

"Why… Why don't you just kill me right away?" Elion didn't understand. Was her execution suppose to be a show?

"I desire no such a thing. Listen…"

Her skin crawled under his touch as he placed a rigid hand on her shoulder - she desperately wished that this all was just a bad dream. For all Elion knew, it easily could be - twelve years had passed yet the Spider looked exactly the same as she remembered.

"You've been gone for a long time, my dear," Varys told her, his smooth voice almost lulling her to sleep. "As far as the rest of the world is concerned - Elion Targaryen is dead. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

"I… I don't understand…" Elion shook her head, trying to stay awake. She had barely heard what he was saying. He eyelids were growing heavy, her eyes still burning from whatever was pushed into them.

The Spider smiled down at her.

"Of course, you don't."

"... How… long?"

"It's been almost two years…"

And then the darkness swallowed her up once again.

When Elion woke up for the third time, the fog had completely lifted. Her body was still sore but stronger than before and this time she could open her eyes without an effort. She examined her surroundings carefully; the small room she was in was empty. Varys was gone and it was so strange that it made her think if he was ever real in a first place. Now that her mind was clear, it didn't make any sense… Why would Varys travel across the Narrow sea?

She didn't have the time to ponder about it right now - she had to find a way out… a way _back._ Elion quickly slid off the bed, putting her bare feet on the cold stone floor and standing up, only to collapse on the floor a mere second later. It felt like she hadn't used her legs in months.

 _ **"It's been almost two years…"**_

 _No._ She refused to believe that.

That large amount of time couldn't just be taken away from her. Not without her knowledge.

She couldn't have left her siblings for that long…

Viserys. Daenerys.

She needed to come back to them, wherever she was and wherever they were. Right now.

She scrambled back up to her feet, and it took her a while before she managed to get herself to the door. It was unlocked. Elion couldn't believe her luck. A smile lit up her face as she stepped out of the room, but it quickly faded when she came face to face with a seemingly never-ending hallway. She took a left turn, walking as fast as her legs could carry her.

* * *

 **Hello there! :) Thank you for reading my story.**

 **I've had this idea for a long time and a few weeks ago, I finally surrendered.**

 **Please, let me know what you think, so I know whether to continue.**


	2. Silver And Black

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything, just my OC.**

Third person POV

 _Thoughts_

 ** _Memories_**

* * *

 **Silver And Black**

* * *

 ** _That day easily could have been the worst day of her life, but since her knowledge of the world around her had notably grown lately, she was sure that worse was yet to come._**

 ** _The air was thick with dampness the storm brought upon them and the scent of blood, and her mother's muffled screams weren't helping her in breathing at all. Elion kept one arm wrapped around Viserys' limp body as the other lay stretched out where her hand lay amidst Rhaella's pulsing grasp. Another bout of thunder boomed, and it felt as though it shook the entire castle, and it made Elion wonder how her younger brother could sleep through it all._**

 ** _She tried to suppress the panic that was growing inside of her, but it was impossible. Elion knew the sound of a dying person - she had heard a lot of deaths, far more than a girl of only eight should ever have to hear. Even then, hearing the screams of all those her father deemed treacherous was unbearable, but now it was her own mother whose screams brought the Stranger, and a pain with it that Elion didn't know she was capable of feeling. They were completely alone now, the last dragons, with no midwife to help, just a few guards waiting helplessly behind the door._**

" ** _What can I do? Just tell me what to do…" she pleaded softly again while watching her mother's face contort in another wave of pain._**

 ** _It was in that moment that Elion decided she would never have a child of her own. Even if she was willing to go through this horrible suffering… what point would there be to having one? Why would she bring one into this terrible world, just for some vicious, greedy man to kill it mercilessly?_**

" ** _Just… just hold me…" the Queen exhaled shakily and her matt eyes turned to her, old and tired. Her mother's gaze then shifted to the sight of her sleeping son, and there was an immediate softness as she watched while his breaths remained steady. "And him. Hold him. Never let go of him, promise me…"_**

" ** _I promise," Elion replied without hesitation - just as she had done countless times before whenever her mother asked her to._**

 ** _Rhaella nodded and turned her head back towards the ceiling, shuddering feverishly as she tried to continue speaking._**

" ** _They are coming for us, Elion…" she whispered, her voice full of fear. Elion didn't have to ask who her mother meant. "They are coming…"_**

 ** _Elion swallowed thickly._**

" ** _Just… just breathe, mother," she tried to make her shaky voice sound comforting in some way, but at this point, she doubted it was working. "Don't worry about it - we have guards. You… you have to be careful. You have to focus and do… do it right so…"_ So the babe doesn't die like all the others.**

" ** _Guards can't stop them! Listen to me!" Suddenly, the grasp on Elion's hand grew stronger as her mother's nails dug into her skin, adding more leverage to her warning. "You have to run, Elion. As soon as possible…"_**

 ** _You have to run, she had said. Not 'we'. That was the moment her eyes finally overflowed, there was nothing left for her to hold onto to turn the tears back and act strong._**

" ** _I am not going to leave you…" she whispered with hot tears streaming down her cheeks, landing in Viserys' silver hair. "I am not-"_**

" ** _You have to do as I say, Elion," Rhaella interrupted her firmly, letting go of her hand. "This is important!"_**

" ** _Mother…" Elion pleaded softly, but her mother continued on even though she could barely speak through her pain. "Be quiet… and listen…" her mother breathed out, trying to catch her breath. "It's all prepared… There is a boat and… In the morning…. You will cross the Narrow Sea and… a man will be waiting for you… Go with him… but don't trust him. Don't trust anyone, Elion. Anyone, do you understand?" "I do," Elion replied with a weak nod, trying to wipe away her tears but fresh ones immediately replaced them._**

" ** _Good girl… You've always been such a good girl…" her mother's soft smile disappeared almost instantly after her misplaced proclamation as another contraction caused her to cry out._**

 ** _Elion had never been so afraid in her life. This was the edge of the world and she was standing at its tip, only a push away from the pit of darkness with no one left to hold her to solid ground. Her mother was going to die tonight - Elion knew it, so did Rhaella. She would be left alone - belonging to no one but herself._**

 ** _No. She would not._**

 ** _Elion shifted Viserys into a more comfortable position, bringing his head on her lap. She promised that she would protect him - she'd spoken the words a thousand times, and now was the time she would be held to it. She was going to take care of him, they would always be together. They were going to make it._**

 ** _Through her inspired attempts to try and convince herself that they had some sort of chance in this world, Elion had barely even noticed how her mother's screams had quieted down until she felt her move on the bed, and seconds later a babe was placed in Elion's arms, sinking comfortably into the space between her arm and elbow just the same way her own heart sank at the sight. The happiness she had felt when Viserys was born was now just a faded, distant memory. All that remained as she looked into the babe's stunning violet eyes was the fear that trembled through her being. She had to protect Viserys - she was sworn to it, and now she had… her. How was she going to protect the both of them?_**

" **You can't protect anyone _," she could hear her father's voice distant in her head._**

" ** _Is she…" Rhaella exhaled, her voice trembling. "Is she alive?"_**

 ** _As if on cue, the babe in Elion's arms started to scream into the raging night storm as if she was demanding that everyone is made aware of her survival. Elion quickly gave her back to their mother, so she could have her milk and the room was plugged into silence._**

" ** _Daenerys…" the Queen smiled tiredly whilst she looked down at her new daughter. "Her name is Daenerys."_**

 ** _All of a sudden Elion felt a strange emptiness inside of her. Every second lasted an hour, and the storm was still raging outside. She wiped her tears away; there was no time for crying now. Not anymore._**

" ** _Tomorrow, Elion… Promise me…" came another soft whisper from her mother._**

" ** _I promise," she replied faintly._**

 ** _Rhaella turned her eyes - always so kind and gentle - to Elion as she plastered yet another weak smile._**

" ** _You can do this, I know you can…" she urged her as sleep plagued her voice, but Elion could hardly listen as she felt her mother's hands grow cold where they had just been sweating. All she knew disappeared and she wished that the morning would never come._**

" ** _Never forget who you are, my Little Dragon…" her mother breathed out, closing her eyes. "Never…"_**

 ** _Elion nodded, pressing her lips together tightly._ I will not.**

 **Never.**

 **But…**

 **Who am I?**

 ** _Rhaella never opened her eyes again._**

xXxXx

She had chosen the wrong path.

Of course, she had. She wouldn't be surprised if there was a way straight out on the other side of the corridor, followed by a trail of roses - she really wouldn't. But Elion's whole life was a series of wrong turns, and on the one she took now she found nothing but endless rows of locked doors and heavy silence. How long before Varys finds out she escaped? Maybe he already knew, for he definitely didn't strike her as an absent-minded type of man, and so she doubted he would leave her door open if there actually was an easy way out waiting for her. Unfortunately, her suspicion was beginning to take from, and with that anxious thought in her head she desperately reached out for the next door and the doorknob clicked beneath her fingers. It was unlocked.

Still dumbfounded by the change in her luck, Elion rushed inside, looking around the room quickly. It was a large chamber, containing nothing more than a stone fireplace and dusty portraits on its otherwise bare walls. It seemed to her that it hadn't been inhabited in a long while. What the Hells was this place? Elion didn't have time to think about that as she spotted another door, enlightened by a dying torch. Gods only knew that in that moment, that light was the most beautiful thing Elion had ever seen. Except perhaps for Viserys. And Dany.

 _Hold on, sweethearts, I am coming._

Elion grasped the doorknob in her firm grip and twisted the knob only to find that the door was locked.

"Well, well..."

The silky voice came out of nowhere, making Elion flinch in her place. When she twisted around, ignoring the sickness in her gut, she found Varys standing at the threshold of the door that she had left open. The Spider really did live up to his name - she hadn't even heard a single step of his.

"Ungrateful, aren't we?" He lifted a single eyebrow and slowly shook his head. "You Targaryens..."

Elion snapped the torch from the wall, holding it in front of her as a sword. Or a shield.

"Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?" Varys quipped loosely.

She met a lot of horrible people during her lifetime, more than anyone should have to. She was rarely scared of them - most of them seemed to be pretty easy to read - but Varys terrified her. Maybe it was that creepy sweet voice of his that never hitched, or how leveled and collected he always seemed to be. Even now as she held the flaming torch to his face, he hadn't even bothered enough to pull his hands out of his large sleeves. Maybe he scared her because he always looked like he knew everything. Maybe it was because he represented the past she feared and never wanted back. And maybe it was everything combined.

"Enough games," Elion hissed, tightening her grasp on the torch. "Let me go and maybe then I shall spare your life."

Varys nodded slowly feigning sincere consideration.

"A generous offer, no doubt. But tell me..." His voice turned deep as his dark eyes suddenly pierced through hers. "What exactly are you planning on doing?"

Varys was a master of manipulation - everyone knew him to be so, and so Elion kept her answer to herself trying not to let his words phase her. His words wouldn't change a thing - she was never going back to Westeros. Not now, not ever, no matter how much Viserys wished to…

"Even if you were able to kill me, it could prove to be quite challenging to find a way out of here…" Varys stated matter-of-factly. "Let's say you find your way out. Where would you go?"

Elion remained in silence and unwilling to partake in his games. Also as long as he spoke, she had time to think. No matter how big of a maze this place was - she was getting out. Her family was waiting for her.

"I suppose you'd try to find the rest of your family," Varys obviously didn't need her for this conversation. "How?" he pushed on curiously. "Where would you start? I assure you they left Volantis long time ago. Given those two years you were… unavailable, they could be anywhere right now. Not even I know where they are at this very moment, and that really says something. But..." Suddenly, there was a notable change in the tone of his voice, making it somehow more… attentive. "I could help you find them. After our return to Westeros, I could arrange a searching party and get them home safely. All you have to do, Princess, is let me help you."

Elion stared at him for a moment before shaking her head with a rueful chuckle.

"Were you really expecting it to be that easy?"

Varys sighed.

"I certainly hoped so. After all, we both want the same thing."

"You know nothing about things I want," she snapped back. What did he know of her life to judge her with?

"I know you want to keep your family safe," Varys suggested as he daringly took a step forward, and Elion firmly pressed her lips together, reluctant to show any of her cards. Wasn't this exactly what she didn't want to be dragged into? "Not everyone wants to harm you, Little Dragon. That kind of thinking could easily be the death of your House."

"This kind of thinking is what's kept my family alive all these years," Elion shot back, her anger burned red and there was little she could do to hold it back at this point. She was the only one in the room with a weapon and yet the Spider somehow made her feel like she was the one backed into a corner. Who did he think he was? He knew nothing. "Do you know why assuming that everyone is an enemy works? Because they usually are."

" ** _Don't trust anyone, Elion."_**

Her words didn't seem to phase him.

"I must admit, it's quite a miracle that you've managed to survive for so long, but don't take all the credit, my dear."

It took Elion a moment to catch on to his meaning before she scoffed in response.

"You expect me to believe that you've been some sort of helping hand all this time?" she snorted - it seemed that there was no line he wouldn't cross. "Humor me. Why? What reason could you have to help us in any way?"

"Why would I do anything?" Varys casually shrugged, as if they've known each other for years. "I have my reasons. But you should be made aware that without me your little journey around the world wouldn't have ever begun. Your poor mother wouldn't have been the only one they found dead at Dragonstone."

Elion suppressed a flinch as painful memories strove to float towards the surface. She loved her sister deeply, but the day she was born was never one she could celebrate.

"Do you always enjoy lying so blatantly, Lord Varys?"

She, herself, had lied far too often in her life. Sometimes it felt like she lied more than she ever told the truth - but it was a necessary part of their survival, and at times it was far easier than facing the truth.

" ** _Father loved you so much, my little brother. He loved us all."_**

Elion doubted that Aerys had ever really loved anyone. Well, in the late years of his life, he had loved fire... and himself. Her eyes were drawn to the torch and she looked into the fire. It was bright and warm and amazing. It was beautiful as well as terrible. It could save a life and it also had no mercy. For one second, Elion thought she could see a reflection of her father's face in it - mad and merciless, just as she remembered him.

"Do you remember the guards that were with you?" Varys spoke up again, breaking her thoughts. "I doubt you do, it's been fourteen years since then, after all. But one of them was very distinctive. Red hair and a big scar on his forehead that looked like-"

"- an arrow," Elion finished, subconsciously recalling the imagine of the man from memory. She remembered him well - better than most since she had noted at the time that she'd never seen him before but he was somehow with them on Dragonstone on the fateful day. That and the fact that as she ran to the docks the next day with a babe in her arms, it was that same guard that she found dead by their doorway with a knife in his hand. She didn't know whether he had done it to himself or someone else had, but honestly, she didn't have time to take him into some deep consideration that day. "That proves nothing."

Varys' face lit up like a cat that finally caught its string, and that was when his slow tug began.

"I'm surprised you remember. But then again, you were always such a perceptive child."

Elion frowned at that, never one to fall for flattery. Instead, she pushed on for answers she wasn't sure she wanted to hear.

"How do you know about him?"

"That's what I do, my dear," Varys opened his arms and bowed a little. "I know things."

"So what if I remember him?"

 _Enough of talking, enough of games._

 _Show me your cards, Spider._

"Do you also remember the knife in his hand? What was at its helm?"

How was she supposed to know? How was she supposed to care? Just as she thought that Varys must be stalling for time, the image rushed to her head in pieces.

"A stag's antlers." It left her in a breath. Baratheon. How had she looked away from that all those years? It was almost like Varys planted that image in her mind. Maybe he did.

She would rather not believe that Robert Baratheon had somehow managed to sneak an assassin on to Dragonstone, but it sounded very like him. Ordering the death of a pregnant woman and her two children, that was his forte. The fact that Varys knew this could either save him or condemn him and Elion knew which option she was bound to choose.

" ** _Don't trust anyone."_**

"No wonder you know all about it since it was most likely you who helped the Usurper arrange it," Elion stated calmly, but her voice was cold and bitter.

Varys wore offense and insult well.

"Does your distrust in me have any boundaries?" he asked incredulously.

"No," Elion replied and stepped closer to him, the torch in her hand held out closer to the duplicitous man. "Now get out of my way or die."

Varys moved when she came closer to him, but not a muscle twitched on his face.

"You're making a mistake, Princess," he told her, calm as ever. "I am the answer to all of your prayers."

They slowly switched positions and Elion snorted in disbelief at his gall.

"It is going to take a lot more than empty words to drag me away from my family."

Suddenly, hands grabbed her from behind and there was a piece of cloth pressed over her mouth and nose. The torch slipped through her fingers and she fought against stranger's grasp, but it was futile as her strength faded from her fingers.

"Very well, Little Dragon," Varys didn't spare her his clever comment. "No more empty words."

Elion was breathing the aromatic drug soaked into the cloth, her head started to spin and the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness, was a burning torch lying on the cold ground.

xXxXx

 ** _"Am I going to lose my leg?"_**

 ** _Elion burst out laughing and Viserys narrowed his eyes at her angrily as she carried on cleaning his wounded knee._**

 ** _"Don't laugh, Eli!" he cried out, turning his head away and pouting. He did that a lot since his fourth Name day._**

 ** _"My deepest apologies, my King," Elion exhaled almost mockingly but managing to suppress her smile._**

 ** _This little game they played always worked on him. As expected - his face lit up and his eyes turned into a shining pair of purple diamonds. But after a while, the magic was gone as Viserys lowered his head and the happiness disappeared from his face._**

 ** _"What is it, darling?" Elion asked him, frowning._**

 ** _"Mother said that I can never be the King," Viserys mumbled with his eyes still cast down. "She said Rhaegar will be because he's older."_**

 ** _Elion lowered her gaze back to his injured knee._**

 ** _"That is true. He will be a very good one," she said before gently blowing coolly over the shallow wound._**

 ** _Noticing that his head did not move, Elion gently caressed her hands through his silver hair, bringing his face back up to meet hers in the process._**

 ** _"You will be a King too, you know?"_**

 ** _Viserys' purple eyes were confused._**

 ** _"I will?"_**

 ** _"Of course," Elion smiled gently. "Someday, you will marry a beautiful girl and you will live in a castle - bigger and far more grand than this one. It will be all yours and you will be the King of that castle."_**

 ** _Viserys' face was full of joy again, no doubt he was picturing himself in his future castle right away. After a sufficient while of fantasizing, he turned his sparkly eyes to his sister again._**

 ** _"Will I marry you?" he asked, his smile wide._**

 ** _Elion froze, blinking. The mere moment later, a horrible, painful-sounding scream cut the silence. They had gotten too close to the throne room. Viserys' smile disappeared and he turned his head to her in panic._**

 ** _"What was that?" he asked, his voice full of fear._**

 ** _"Nothing," Elion replied, jumping to her feet as she placed a fake smile on her face to placate his worry. Her hands reached out her little brother._**

 ** _"Let's head back, shall we?"_**

xXxXx

By the time Elion opened her eyes - she was face to face with a slab of wood only inches away. Her head ached terribly as she tried to gather her senses and determine her surroundings. After she managed that, everything made a lot more sense, although that realization didn't make it any more bearable. Especially one particular thing - she was in the box.

There was really no doubt. She scaled every single side of her new prison with her hands, trying to discern whether this was truly her reality and it was real. Varys and his henchmen put her into a wooden box with a few holes on sides, transporting her back to Westeros like an animal. And then another thought crept into her mind, and it was enough to make her suffocating blood run cold in her veins. What if she was already there?

The walls of the box began to close in on her immediately, the pain in her head increased, and Elion was sure. She was back.

She was back!

 _No, no, no..._

She could smell the sea, and it seemed to be different than usual. She couldn't see much trough the little holes in the box, but she could hear a distant hum of multiple voices - and they all spoke the common tongue. With a dull resignation, Elion knew she was back.

 _No._

Elion refused to give up so easily.

It wasn't over - she was still alive.

Daenerys and Viserys were still alive.

No matter how sick in the stomach she felt, no matter how fast her head spun and her heart beat, she had to find a way out of this.

She bent her knees and then kicked the bottom of the box's lid as hard as her position could allow her to. Her bare feet protested in pain at the impact, but she didn't care. Having the image of her two silver-haired siblings alone in front of her eyes, she pushed, and pushed, and pushed.

How are they going to survive without her? Viserys could hardly swing a sword, and Dany was merely a child. She pushed again.

 _Where are they going to go?_

Again.

 _What are they going to do?_

Again.

 _I promised._

 _I promised, I promised, I promised._

Elion had no idea how long it took - she was in too much pain to keep track on time - but finally, she could feel the lid loosen, and with one last kick, it came off. She scrambled from the coffin-like prison, quickly scanning her surroundings as she struggled to get on her feet. There was plenty of cargo around her, all deposited in front of a big boat. She noticed a pair of sailors coming in her direction. Elion quickly ducked behind one of the bigger boxes before they could see her and she was suddenly startled by the mass of darkness that attacked her eyesight before she identified it as hair - and it was attached to her own head. Incredulous at yet another invasion of her autonomy, she sifted her hands desperately through her now hair that now fell to an unfamiliar height all the while recollecting the feeling of Varys's strange hands wetting and combing through her hair. Apparently, he wasn't just grooming her. Her hair was black now, darker than the night sky and shorter - barely falling to the middle of her back, and it felt thicker than her silver hair that usually fell as soft as feathers around her waist.

Elion's hot rage that flared up at Varys' audacity when she simply couldn't understand how dared he do something like that, faded quickly when she realized what it meant. Only Targaryens had pale hair, and especially those sent to look for them would know… But now she was dark-haired. There was no need to carefully cover her hair wherever she went, not anymore. If Elion had known that this was an option, then platinum-haired Targaryens would exist no more.

* * *

 **Hi there! Thank you for all the support, for following, favoriting and especially _reading_ my story! :) It really made me happy, so I've decided to keep posting it, as long as you are interested. I'm really grateful for the reviews, unfortunately I can't reveal much for the sake of the story, but I think it's safe to say that Elion doesn't know about Jon.**

 **There are actually two storylines in the story sort of. One about the past and then the present, so every chapter will be filled with memories and eventually, it will meet up and hopefully explain some things.**

 **Anyway, I hope you like the chapter and will let me know what you think about it. I would love to update every week or so, but my finals are coming up so I can't make any promises. Hope to hear from you soon! :)**


	3. Across The Sea

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just my OC.**

Third POV

 _Thoughts_

 _ **Memories**_

* * *

 **Across The Sea**

* * *

Elion got herself as far away from her original spot as possible, but the orientation in the enormous harbor wasn't exactly easy. She didn't have the slightest idea where she was, which wasn't very surprising given that she had only ever been in King's Landing and Dragonstone and that had been a long time ago. Her heart was beating fast and she was tempted to leave the docks and just keep running, but finding another harbor could be difficult and she needed to get herself back across the Narrow Sea. When it came to her plan, that was all she had.

Except for the plain gray-colored dress she had on, she had literally nothing left. Her throbbing headache and the cold fear entrenched in her heart weren't making thinking any easier and she inconspicuously stole an apple from the stall of some old merchant to silence her hunger. Taking the first bite, she noticed three men standing around a table, poring over a map, obviously readying themselves to sail. They seemed to her like captains, or at least one of them definitely was with his pure white hat. Having nothing else to lose, Elion stepped closer.

"Seven blessings to all of you," she greeted them politely. Two of them raised their brows at her, the blonde man with a hat narrowed his eyes. None of them answered, so Elion carefully continued. "You strike me as decent men who would not think twice about doing the right thing."

The tallest man with a dark purple scarf chuckled and Elion sure didn't like the smile that appeared on his lips.

"We ain't giving you no money," said the other one standing next to him, furrowing his thick eyebrows.

"I don't need money, sir," Elion replied to him calmly, although he was the most unpleasant to look at. "All I need is a ride across the Narrow Sea."

Hat examined her with his light eyes, looking for a moment at her bare feet. His expression was blank and hard to read.

"Where did you run from?" he asked, his voice deep and serene.

"Who cares?" Scarf asked with a crooked smile. "Look at that." He reached out her hand to her, but before Elion could dodge his fingers, Hat slapped his hand down without a blink. The man immediately earned a great amount of Elion's sympathy.

"Hands off, Rerche," he warned the other with a frown.

Maybe the Gods had mercy upon her soul and she had happened upon one truly good man out of a million. Maybe. She didn't let herself be carried away with the thought, since she had been wrong before.

"Why?" the sailor smirked. "I'm a decent man who won't hesitate to do the right thing. Or many of them..." he laughed and Eyebrows laughed with him. When they both finished, Rerche turned his sparkly eyes back to her. "I'll take you. But what's in it for me?"

Elion didn't even blink. Of course, he would ask that - the world worked like that. Qui pro quo. Always something for something. And what could she offer when she had literally nothing left? Lies and empty promises.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, I can't offer much. But I have a family across the Narrow sea." Truth. „A very powerful and rich family." Lie. They could hardly suffice. Illyrio provided them with some money in the start, but there weren't a lot of ways how to multiply the money without taking too big of a risk. They needed every single coin. Not that mattered, Elion wasn't planning on paying that man anyway.

"Yeah, right," Scarf snorted in disbelief. "You may be pretty, but you ain't that pretty."

Elion couldn't argue with that. If Varys spoke the truth, she was gone for two years and she had no idea how she looked after so long time in captivity. Also, her hair was black now. No majestic soft silver hair that in waves reached down her waist, but a pitch black curtain that lay boringly across her shoulders.

"We should take her, man," Eyebrows spoke up. It seemed that they both were traveling on the same ship. "She talks real posh so it could be truth."

Rerche shook his head.

"I ain't taking your word as a payment. Let's make a simpler deal. More satisfying one..." he added with a sweet voice.

Elion almost squirmed with disgust when he placed his wicked gaze on her, seriously wondering if swimming across the sea wouldn't be more pleasant. She remembered the last time another ship's captain made a very similar offer and it didn't end up well... for him. But that was a different time and a different place.

"Have you fled from the Pleasure house?" Hat asked out of nowhere, his expression blank but his eyes searching.

Elion took a second to think about that what was the right answer. Hat's face was really difficult to read and although he might look... more gallant than the rest, he could also be even worse in the end. Well, everything was better than the truth, so she decided to let them think that. She made sure that her expression was a clear answer.

"You don't care where the boat is going, as long as it goes across the sea?" he questioned.

"I do not," Elion nodded, a glimpse of hope in her heart.

"I'll take you," he stated, rolling up the map.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rerche glared at him; he obviously hadn't seen that being an option.

"With no sick conditions," the Captain added calmly. "We're leaving now." With those words, he started to walk away. Elion followed him without a thought.

"You owe me one!" the one named Rerche called after them, but he was apparently not worthy of a reaction.

Out of those three, it seemed that Elion won a lottery. It wasn't time to be hasty, though. Only time would show if her decision was a right one.

The boat she got herself on was huge and shifting steel. People there were either giving her strange looks or ignoring her completely, and Elion was fine with both. Right at the start, she had been given a pair of shoes, some trousers and a pint of water, and that was honestly enough to make her happy.

The Captain seemed to hold on his word, at least for now. She hadn't even seen him for the first few hours, she stayed on the deck, clutching the wooden railing and watching the open water. With every inch travelled, she was closer to her family. It didn't matter where they had gone, it didn't even matter if Varys spoke the truth and two years had really passed - she was going to find them. They would be together again.

A soft piece of cloth was placed on her shoulders and that broke Elion from her thoughts. She flinched, twisting around, but it was only the Captain, his hands held up palms open.

"Easy, girl. It's just a cloak," he said softly, putting his hands down. "Aren't you cold out here?"

Until that moment, Elion didn't even realized how windy the deck actually was. Despite that, she wasn't cold one bit - having probably too much energy rushing through her veins. Without an answer, she put the cloak on, her eyes not leaving the mysterious man for one second.

"Why did you take me?" she asked cautiously.

His light eyes examined her again.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Should I be?" Elion retorted levelly.

Hat snorted and then shrugged.

"You've got some nerve, I'll give you that… A girl, asking for a trip across the Narrow sea, looking like this… That story wasn't entitled to a happy ending."

"There are no happy endings," Elion told him soberly. "Just endings. In the end, the circumstances don't really matter."

"You are right," the Captain agreed, his eyes unreadable. "It doesn't really matter, when it's over."

It was taking too long… Elion was watching him, talking to him, judging him, but she hasn't gotten an inch further in finding out who this person actually was and what were his reasons. All those years she could count on nothing else but her own instinct. And yes, she had been wrong before, many times, but this was different. This man… was strange.

"What is your name?" she asked and genuinely wanted to know.

"Marko," he replied casually and carried on in the same tone. "I would ask yours, but something tells me it would be a fake one anyway."

Elion smiled a little; she quite liked this man's attitude.

"Thank you," slipped quite easily from her lips and she couldn't remember when was the last time she thanked to a stranger.

"You're welcome," he replied, his eyes turning toward the horizon. "We should be in Westeros soon enough," he stated, spun around and started walking back to the cabin.

Elion didn't understand that horrible pit, which opened inside of her stomach, before she repeated Marko's words in her head. For the first time in her life, she had the feeling that she would faint and never wake up.

xXxXx

 _ **The air in the lower deck was humid and foul. Elion hardly even noticed - she had other things to be anxious about. The life itself, for example. The future of her family that seemed completely out of reach. The whole ship swung again and Elion closed her eyes, pulling Daenerys closer to her chest. She had a long way to go; only now had everything started and she was already tired out of her mind.**_

 _ **"I want to go home!"**_

 _ **Elion opened her eyes and put them on her little brother. He had awoken a few minutes ago and has been too confused and scared to talk for a while. That apparently had ended now.**_

 _ **"We can't, darling…" she spoke up softly.**_

 **Home is no more.**

 _ **Viserys' eyes were watery and stubborn. Despite his young age, he understood what happened, he understood very well. He just wasn't ready to accept it yet. To be honest, Elion wasn't sure she was quite ready.**_

 _ **"Why?" he stretched out, his voice whiny.**_

 _ **"A bad man came and took it from us," Elion said soberly. "He took it all."**_

 _ **Robert Baratheon took everything; more than he ever had to.**_

 _ **Elion knew her father wasn't a good king for a while. She knew he wasn't… good. But her brother Rhaegar was. Her mother was. Her sister-in-law Elia was and so were her children. They all died for nothing and that hurt… but Elion doubted that even if their deaths were meaningful that it would hurt any less.**_

 _ **"Why didn't we kill the man?" Viserys exclaimed in frustration, his voice raising with every single word. "We should have killed him!"**_

 _ **"Yes," Elion breathed out, exhausted. "It is too late now, the war is lost. Stop screaming, please."**_

 _ **One look into her brother's violet eyes and she knew he wasn't about to calm down. She always could tell when he was about to throw a tantrum.**_

 _ **"But I want to-!"**_

 _ **"Stop screaming, Viserys!" Elion cut him off, watching him to freeze mid-sentence, his bottom lip quivering.**_

 _ **She had never risen her voice at Viserys before. In that moment, Elion failed to remember if anyone ever raised their voice at him in his entire life. There were only two types of screams that Viserys knew - the ones of their father and those who he condemned to horrible death. Regret immediately bit her heart as she watched her brother's eyes overflow, but they had to be careful. They had to be quiet.**_

 _ **"I am sorry," Elion breathed out softly, outstretching her hand. "Come here…"**_

 _ **Viserys snuffed some more, but took her hand and let her pull him closer to her, burying his face in her shoulder.**_

 _ **"We can't draw attention, darling," Elion whispered, her fingers dancing though his hair. "Bad people are looking for us, they want to hurt us. We have to run and hide. We have to protect each other… protect Daenerys."**_

 _ **Viserys lifted his head so he could see the youngest Targaryen.**_

 _ **"Why her?" he asked, crinkling his little nose. "Why is she so important?" The sibling rivalry didn't take too long to set its roots.**_

 _ **Elion let her hand slide onto his back while she looked down at the sleeping babe in her lap. "She is our sister…"**_ **She is the only thing that is left of our mother…** _ **"We have to protect our family, Viserys," she told him strongly. "Always."**_

 _ **He looked up at her and nodded.**_

 _ **"Always..."**_

xXxXx

"Wait…" Elion breathed out faintly, her head spinning.

Those few seconds lasted decades and even though there was no doubt what happened, she wasn't going to accept that. There was no way… she was in Westeros, she knew she was! Except for that she wasn't… It was a mere assumption she made when she was overwhelmed with fear and paranoia. It didn't even occur to her that she could have still been in Essos and now she basically did Varys' job for him.

Elion forcefully overcame the horrible nausea she was feeling and turned around. "Wait," she said more vigorously, rushing after Marko and grabbing his wrist. "We have to go back!"

Captain frowned at her, clearly confused.

"What did you just say?"

"We have to go back," Elion repeated strongly, holding him with both of her hands now. She hardly even noticed that it started to rain. "We have to return!"

"Are you touched, girl?" Marko asked incredulously and snatched his hand out of her grip. "You were practically begging me to take you across the sea."

"You don't understand-"

"I sure don't, but know this - I'm not turning this ship around at your command."

Something snapped within Elion in that moment. It was obvious that she had no chance of persuading this man. The boat wasn't going to turn and it was heading for Westeros, maybe even King's Landing. She would never go back there, there was no force in this world that could make her.

Elion turned away from the Captain and started running towards the bottom of the ship. There was no particular plan in her mind, but one thing was clear - she was never coming back there. Her own temerity could have easily cost her life and now she was under its influence once again. But her siblings were still out there, somewhere and if the boat wasn't turning around… there was really only one option left. Swimming back to Essos could seem mad, but for her it was more plausible choice than setting a foot in Seven Kingdoms.

The stern of the ship was in sight and Elion had no idea how Marko could have caught up on her so easily, but he stopped her before she could reach it. She turned around to shove him away, but Marko caught her wrist and then the other one too, holding her in place.

"You are insane," he grunted, his voice low, but dangerous. Elion didn't care one bit in the moment.

"Let go off me!" she demanded while trying to break off his grip.

"You will never make it - we are almost in Westeros!"

Elion wanted to snap back at him, but the whole ship rocked hard and they both slammed in the railing. Lifting her eyes full of water, she could see pitch black clouds she haven't noticed before and deafening thunder boomed loud with her realization. The sea was suddenly filled with angry waves, sailors were screaming at each other, running into the ship and there was water everywhere. Elion saw Marko yelling something, but she didn't hear a single word and in the next moment, she was hit by a mass of water that threw her overboard, plunging her deep into dark waters.

* * *

 **Hi :) Thank you so much for following, favoriting and reading my story! Big thanks to those who took their time to review, that's just great :)**

 **This chapter is the last of the slow start, the story should be moving more quickly from now on.  
I'm in the middle of my finals so the next chapter should be up maybe next week or in a fortnight. **

**Let me know what you think about the story, if you're interested, and have a nice day!**


End file.
